Hugs & Blows

Ethan on break.

Ethan is listening to some band that is quite over-hyped by hipsters, or whatever term the kids on the edge on the scene are called today. Scenesters, he decides is as a good a term for them as any other made up word. He fairly sure that half of the music on his laptop is from Odette. He cannot for the life of him figure out what the fuck is going on with her musical tastes. She literally seems to listen to anything and everything. Odette has an appreciation for music, and all artforms actually, that he can't comprehend.

He is glad for her massive collection of songs though, he feels as if he is hearing Odette grow into the person she is now. He can date some of it and knows what is from her childhood, what she listened to her parents listening to, and what she played as an fiercely angsty girl. She has funny songs too. Odette is a surprisingly hilarious girl. He loves her so much that he thinks his heart will explode, Ethan sighs at that thought. It's a cliche. He hates feeling so constantly cliched. Odette is never a cliche.

Some of the bands are similar, he can tell that she appreciates a pop punk sound. He can recognize similar bands, music choices it's sensible for her to listen to, Ludo & Say Anything. Fall Out Boy & Honor Bright. She has intense music too, ICP and Kittie. He is pretty shocked she listens to Insane Clown Posse, Fiona Apple & Amy Winehouse he finds less surprising.

He has convinced himself that he can figure out anything and everything he ever needs to know about his love if he just listens to enough of her music. He also of course has to evaluate her playlist choices. He wonders if maybe she is a good example of what people in New York are like; He doesn't know many New Yorkers, and he's fairly certain that if their was anyone in Kentucky quite like her, she wouldn't have left town with Betsy all that time ago.

"Comfortably Numb" comes on, the last time he heard this he was getting high. He sighs and shakes his head again, because that was exceptionally cliched. He can't fathom how Odette can stand it.

He texts Odette a message saying "I love you, and was thinking about you on break."